Christmas 2008
by LadyFlamewing
Summary: Written in response to a challenge for a fic featuring Kuwabara/Yusuke and the theme "mistletoe and trickery". Also contains light Kurama/Hiei.


Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

The party goes about as well as can be expected – which means, really, that Kurama's just glad nothing's been irreparably damaged by the end of it. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, holding a Christmas party in his own apartment, getting the team together like they hadn't been for years.

He's wondering how he could ever have been so wrong.

Perhaps it would have been best if he'd pulled the plug when Kuwabara and Yusuke had shown up on his door with so much alcohol in their possession, Kurama was almost certain they hadn't paid for it all. 'Shown up' being a loose description, also – they'd announced their presence not with a knock or the ring of the doorbell, but with the sounds of scuffling on the front step: shouts, thuds of flesh against flesh, and more than a few breaking bottles.

The years hadn't changed them much – maybe that was what Kurama had underestimated. He'd assumed that with the passing years, the two would let their rivalry fade, learn a new way to express a concern for one another. He probably should have known better.

And if he'd thought the two friends were bad, he'd find himself at an uncharacteristic loss of words to describe the interaction between two who could never, even under the most optimistic circumstances, be described as such – Kuwabara and Hiei.

It had been the work of _weeks_ to talk the fire-demon into taking leave from his duties in the Makai, and Kurama wasn't entirely certain why Hiei had agreed to come in the end. But he had, and Kurama had been pleased – until Hiei showed up well past when he should, and long after Yusuke and Kuwabara had begun drinking.

Kurama was fairly certain the two – Yusuke, with his demonic heritage, and Kuwabara, with his large and solid build – should not have been nearly as affected by their alcohol consumption up to that point (although it had been impressive), and somewhere in the back of his mind absolutely _knew_ they were up to no good.

Hiei had barely made an appearance before the two were on him, prodding and poking fun at the top of their game, and the fire-demon's expression had gone cloudy in instants. _That_ probably should have been a good sign to Kurama to end things before they got out of hand, but he'd allowed himself to be talked into a few drinks himself, and his smaller human body couldn't handle alcohol the way he remembered.

And while he had sat there, mellow and contented from the liquor in his system (and, to an extent, the comforting lack of any change in the dynamics of the team relationship, even after all these years), the others coming together around him in fights that switched partners as easily – though perhaps less gracefully – as in a dance, an idea had surfaced slowly in his mind.

With Kuwabara and Hiei, it was easy to see that the fights were just that – brawls, contests due to a difference of opinion and personality that was nigh insurmountable. Hiei saw humans as weak, inferior – and he had no qualms expression that opinion, due to his rather straightforward and (to some extent) confrontational nature. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was living proof that humans could be just as strong – if not stronger – and (with the notable exception of Yusuke) tended to shy away from harsh clashes with other people: it was simply not in his true nature, which was more gentle than anything else.

But how did you explain Yusuke and Kuwabara? They were similar, both with an odd gentle streak hidden under the brash exterior, both with the knowledge that being human (or, having been human once) had nothing to do with strength. And – now that he was thinking about it – Kurama had _always_ been bothered by their rivalry. It just didn't make much sense. Were they _too_ similar, was that it? Or was there something more?

Well, one easy way to find out, wasn't there? For Kurama, it was the work of moments to flex his power into the decorations – hung, in fact, by Yusuke and Kuwabara: no doubt in the hopes of luring the most entertaining combinations of teammates under them – and it was about time, he'd thought, for something to backfire on the two of them the way his plans for a peaceful holiday gathering had backfired on him.

A bit of explosive growth later, and Kuwabara and Yusuke were rolling around on the floor under a ceiling carpeted with mistletoe, which Kurama was all too willing to call to their attention. Perhaps rather predictably, this escalated the fight to rather epic proportions that quickly overwhelmed the bounds of the small apartment and moved into the street.

Which, of course, was quite acceptable in Kurama's opinion, because it meant they were someone else's problem.

With a sigh, he settles farther back into the sofa cushions and casts an assessing glance around at the damage. Nothing a little elbow grease won't fix, he supposes, along with a rather satisfying answer to a question that has plagued him for quite some time.

He has to admit to a little surprise, though, when a slight weight dips the cushions by his waist, and a glance down reveals Hiei perched carefully on what little sofa is available.

They sit in silence for a few moments, Kurama shifting slightly to give the fire-demon more room, until Hiei finally speaks.

"How long have you been thinking about doing that?" he asks, and Kurama grins. So he hasn't been the only one wondering.

"A while," he answers vaguely, earning an amused snort from near his waist. And, a moment later, the fleeting brush of lips against his before Hiei disappears, leaving Kurama staring bemusedly up at the mistletoe he's unintentionally grown over his own head.

_About as well as can be expected_, he thinks, and smiles.


End file.
